Terrorist activities in hinterland continue to remain a threat: Shinde

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday said terrorist activities in the hinterland continue to remain a threat.

"Immediately after taking over the charge as Home Minister on 1st August, 2012, I visited Pune on 4.8 .2012 and had a review meeting with the Chief Minister , Home Minister and senior Police Officers of the State regarding investigation of the low intensity serial bomb blasts in Pune on 01.08.2012. There was no casualty in this incidence," Shinde said, while presenting the report of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the period from August 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013.

"During the period from August 2012 to July, 2013, four incidents of bomb blasts took place. In 2013, there have been three incidents of bomb blasts: - first in Hyderabad in which 17 persons died, the second in Bengaluru in which there was no casualty and the third in Bodh Gaya in which no casualty was reported. We have agreed to the request of the Chief Minister, Bihar for handing over the security of Bodh Gaya Complex to CISF. In some of these incidents, the Investigating Agencies have been able to identify and arrest the persons responsible and in other cases the investigations are on," he added.

Shinde during the period from August 1, 2012 to to July 2013, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) has been asked/ entrusted to investigate 30 cases relating to terrorist activities/bomb blasts.

"Out of these 30 cases, the Government has issued Sanction of Prosecution in 19 cases. Also during this period, two NIA Special Courts have been notified by the MHA," he added.

Talking about the strengthening of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Shinde said the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2012 as passed by the Parliament has come into force from February 1, 2013.

"The Act enlarges the ambit of the "Terrorist Act" by incorporating threats/dangers to the economic security of the country and the monetary stability of India by way of production, smuggling or circulation of high quality counterfeit Indian paper currency," said Shinde.

"The law increases the period of declaration of an association as unlawful from two years to five years, criminalizes high quality counterfeiting and includes within its scope offences by companies, societies or trusts and provides for punishment to them," he added.